If you don't have the time to keep up with every twist and turn of the news agenda then sit back and Let Me Explain. Each week host Seán Defoe goes behind the scenes on one of the biggest stories dominating the airwaves. Why is it a big deal? Who's trying to spin you a line? And, most importantly, why should you give a damn? CONVERSATION THAT COUNTS | Ireland’s national independent talk station for news, sport, analysis and entertainmentListen to Newstalk at http://newstalk.com/listenlive | Download the GoLoud app now, the new home for Newstalk
Latest episodes
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14 min
Harry Houdini's war on clairvoyants
100 years ago this Halloween the famous escape artist Harry Houdini died. For the next decade his wife would conduct a seance every year on his anniversary - not trying to prove Ho…
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13 min
Will Israel's elections change anything for Palestinians?
With right wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing the prospect of losing power - would a change in Government change anything for Palestinians?Who are the favourites for thi…
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16 min
How Manchester City Became Football’s Superpower
In 2008, Abu Dhabi money transformed Manchester City from a struggling club into one of the biggest forces in world football. But behind the trophies, Pep Guardiola and the unforge…
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17 min
5 Things To Watch in Budget 2027
With budget 2027 on the horizon here's five things you need to watch out for as Simon Harris completes his first budget as Finance Minister
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19 min
AI Will Wipe Us All Out... Or Will It?
This week, Sean looks at the most recent technological moral panic: The Hugging Face Incident.From this, Sean investigates whether Artificial Intelligence is something we really sh…
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17 min
Episode 250! How Did UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld Die?
For our milestone 250th EPISODE, we look back 65 years to the death of UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld.He died in a plane crash in the Congo while on a mission to negotiate a…
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14 min
How Star Trek Invented the Sound of Space
Star Trek helped shape the way we imagine the future should sound.From the Enterprise and its strange electronic noises to the sounds that became staples of science fiction, its in…
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17 min
Lindsay Clancy: Mental Illness and Murder
This week we take a deep dive into the Lindsay Clancy murder case. A woman found guilty of murdering her three children, but could responsibility lie elsewhere, or how can we reall…
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16 min
247. The Woman Who Scammed 9/11
This week we go inside the story of a woman who posed for years as a 9/11 survivor, gained the trust of hundreds who thought she'd been in the Twin Towers that day - but who wasn't…
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14 min
246. The bank robbery that created Stockholm Syndrome
In August 1973 a man walks into a Swedish bank, demands three million kroner and takes four hostages. The six day standoff that followed would become the origin story for Stockholm…
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11 min
245. The day the Mona Lisa was stolen
You might never have heard of Mona Lisa if she hadn't been stolen from the Lourve 115 years ago. The two year manhunt and the resulting news coverage made her the most famous paint…
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15 min
244. Inside the hardest day of the Battle of Britain
Immerse yourself in the 18th of August 1940 when the Luftwaffe tried to use overwhelming force to crush British resistance in the air. Follow the newly promoted RAF captain facing…
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9 min
243. The woman hanged as a witch for speaking Gaeilge
This week we explore the sad case of Goody Glover who was denounced a witch in Boston just before the Salem witch trials kicked off in earnest
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11 min
242. Sex, Superman and Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh: you’ve heard the name, but what exactly is it — and how does a Celtic harvest festival connect to Ireland’s very own “Superman”? Sean Defoe dives into the myth behind t…
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12 min
241. What do TDs do when the Dáil is in recess?
What is it TDs actually get up to when they're not in the Dail?
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19 min
240. Where is cloning 30 years on from Dolly the Sheep?
As we mark 30 years since the birth of Dolly the sheep - where is cloning technology now? And could humans or dinosaurs be next?
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13 min
239. Are Politicians Worse Than They Used To Be?
Are politicians worse than they used to be, or are we all wearing rose-tinted glasses? Sean Defoe takes on the big question as a new poll suggests Fine Gael has edged back into fir…
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17 min
238. Who is (future British Prime Minister) Andy Burnham?
This week a deep dive on the likely soon-to-be Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Who the hell is he? And what does he stand for?
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12 min
237. The Worst Dads In History
This week, to make the rest of us feel better, we're looking at the worst dads in history (and one of the best) to mark Father's Day
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30 min
236. Making a Balls of it: World Cup controversies
This week Cameron Hill from Off The Ball joins Sean to chat through the multiple controversies that have so far dogged World Cup 2026